Wrench



Patented Oct. 29, 1946 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE WRENCH clayton L. nien, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 26, 1945, Serial No. 579,698

4 Claims. i

My invention relates to a device for imparting a rotary motion to an article, such as a nut, bolt, etc., and, more specifically, to a wrench which incorporates a novel means for electing intermittent, uni-directional rotary motion of the article when a reciprocating rotary motion is imparted to the wrench.

Complementarily-threaded articles, such as a nut and a bolt, which are to be urged into engagement by eiecting relative rotation thereof with a wrench adapted to engage one of the articles, are frequently so inaccessibly located that interfering members restrict the amplitude of motion of the wrench to a small angle. Under such conditions, when a forward stroke, imparting relative motion to the articles in the desired direction, has been completed, it is necessary that the wrench be disengaged from the article being rotated whereby a rearward stroke may be effected to return the wrench to its initial position while the article being rotated remains stationary. Obviously, it is often extremely inconvenient to eiect an actual physical disengagement of the wrench from the article being rotated uponcompletion of each forward stroke.

and prior to b-eginning each rearward stroke. It is a general object of my invention, therefore, to provide a wrench incorporating a novel means for transmitting a rotary motion to an article in a desired direction when a reciprocating motion is imparted to the wrench, whereby the article is rotated in the desired direction during a forward stroke of the wrench and automatically remains stationary during a rearward stroke without disengaging thewrench from the article.

Another object is to provide a wrench of the character referred to which has a transmitting means devoid of spring elements.

Another object is to provide a wrench incorporating a means for transmitting a rotary motion which engages substantially instantaneously upon beginning the forward stroke and which has a negligible drag during the rearward stroke.

Another object is to' provide a wrench which includes a minimum number of moving elements and one in which the transmitting means is substantially self-lubricating.

A further object of my invention is to provide a wrench which is smaller, more compact, lighter, and yet stronger than the wrenches of the conventional type.

.Another object of my invention is to provide a wrench which, unlike the yconventional singlepawl ratchet wrench, has a transmitting means that distributes the transmitted forces to several be manufactured and assembled easily and inexpensively, close control of manufacturing tolerances being unnecessary.

An additional object of my invention is to providea wrench incorporating a reversible transmitting means whereby the direction of the forward stroke may be reversed readily by the simple expedient of slidably transposing the drive member and inverting the wrench.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a wrench of the reversible type which is adapted for use with the conventional sockets, extension bars, etc.

I prefer to attain these and other objects of my invention by providing a wrench which includes a square drive member slidably disposed within and partially enclosed by a housing element, rotary motion being selectively transmitted therebetween by rollers disposed within the housing element, one adjacent each face of the 'drive member. The rollers are urged into engagement with the housing element and the drive member during a forward stroke by frictional Contact with the housing element, and engagement is prevented during a rearward stroke by stationary restraining members which are xed with respect to the drive member by end plates. The preferred embodiment of my invention will be discussed in specic detail in the following disclosure and the various advantages of my invention will be made apparent therein.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my invention and illustrates its application to a conventional hexagonal socket (shown in phantom) Fig, 2 is a transverse sectional View of the I wrench illustrating the disposition of the various components-of the transmitting means during a return stroke; Y

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the arrangement of the several parts of the transmitting means during a forward stroke;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of Fig. 2; and v Fig. '7 is a perspective view of a restraining member and an end plate forming components of the wrench.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I show a wrench le, which, in this illustration, is adapted to cooperate with a conventional hexagonal socket H (shown in phantom), and is rotatable forwardly in the direction of the arrow F about an axis A--A to drive the socket il in that direction and is rotatable in an opposite or rearward direction, indicated by the arrow R, about the axis A-A while the socket remains stationary, as will hereinafter be described in detail. The forward direction is taken as the direction of motion to be irnparted to the socket l l and may be either clockwise or counterclockwise, as will be shown hereinafter.

The wrench le inciudes a housing element 29 which contains a transmitting assembly 3B adapted to engage and prevent relative rotation of the housing element 2b and a centrally located drive member d during forward rotation of the housing element 2G, and which is further adapted to permit relative rotation thereof during rearward rotation of the housing element 2S. A pair of end plates E39, one adjacent either end of the housing element 26, Serves to enclose and position the transmitting assembly 33.

'The housing element 29 preferably comprises a right circular cylinder provided with a concentric bore 2l therethrough defining a peripheral wall 22, which can be rotated about its longitudinal axis A-A by applying a forward force F or a rearward force R to a handle 2li attached thereto and extending transversely therefrom. A portion of the handle 2&5 is preferably knurled or roughened, as indicated at 25, to provide a convenient gripping surface for the hand of a user.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 8, the transmitting assembly Sil comprises four bearings 3l, each preferably in the form of a cylindrical roller, and four restraining members 35, each bearing being disposed between a face M of the drive member itil and the peripheral wall 22 and the restraining members 35 being fixed with respect to the drive member iii by the end plates 55, as will hereinafter beY described in detail. The diameters of theybearings 3iV are greater than the minimum clearances between each face il of the drive member lll and the peripheral wall 22, as indicated by the dimensions 32, and are less than the maximum clearances therebetween, as indicated by the dimensions 33. Intermediate the minimum clearance points 32 and the maximum clearance points 33 Vare points where the chords of the bearings 3| intercepted between the faces 4l and the peripheral wall 22 are equal to the clearances therebetween measured along the chords, as indicated by the dimensions 3d. The rollers 3l are therefore free to travel circumferentially with respect to the drive member All between the points 3d of equal chord and clearance, the travel therebetween in one direction being arrested by the edges 36 of the restraining members 35.

Referring to Fig. 2, when the housing element 2Q is rotated rearwardly with respect to the drive member d0, as indicated by the arrow R, the rollers 3l are displaced circumferentially in the direction of rotation R by frictional contact with the peripheral wall 22 of the housing element 23 until they engage the restraining members 35 which arrest the displacement at points where the roller diameters are less than the clearances between the faces el and the peripheral wall 22, thereby preventing wedging of .the rollers 3l between the i faces 4I and the peripheral wall 22 simultaneously. The drive member lll remains stationary, therefore, vwhen a restraining moment, suicient to overcome thesmall frictional moment developed within the wrench by contact of the housing element 20 with the rollers 3l and end plates 5e, is applied thereto, the restraining moment offered by even very loosely engaged complementarily-threaded articles being ample for this purpose.

As iilustrated in Fig. 3, when the housing element 2G is rotated forwardly with respect to the drive member All, as indicated by the arrow F, the rollers 3! are displaced circumferentially in the direction of rotation F by frictional contact with the peripheral wall 22 until they reach the points 311 of equal cho-rd and clearance to engage and become wedged between the faces 4l and the peripheral wall 22, thereby locking the housing element 20 and the drive member iii together.

it will be understood that since the housing element 26 floats on the rollers 3l, one or more of the rollers 3! will always contact the peripheral wall 22. As the housing element 20 is rotated forwardly, the roller or rollers 3l in contact with the peripheral wall 22 will be displaced circumferentially by frictional contact until they engage the drive member 4Q whereupon lateral displacement of the drive member 13, restraining mem,- bers 35, and end plates 5G will occur until one or more of the remaining rollers 3| engage the faces si and the peripheral wallV 22. Thus the rollers 3i, the only'moving parts in the entire transmitting means, are urged into engagement with the drive member til and the housing ele'-, ment 2i? lby friction alone without the use of any Spring devices. v

The engaging action delay occurring at the beginning of each forward stroke is equal to the circumferential travel of the rollers 3l between the engaging edges 35 of the restraining mem.-V bers 35 and the points 34 of equal intercepted chord and clearance and can be minimized by reducing the travel to a very small distance. This may be accomplished either by increasing the diameter of the rollers 3l, or by locating the restraining members 35 nearer the maximum clearance points 33, or by decreasing the diams eter of the bore 2|, or otherwise as will.' be understood by those skilled in the art.

The drive member 40, preferably of square cross section as illustrated to permit application` thereof to the conventional socket, is longitudinally slidable within the bore 2l through'a centrally located complementaryV hole 5I in4 each end plate 56, the end plates being maintained in spaced relationship by, and serving to maintain the desired position of, the restraining members 35. The interconnection of the end plates 50 and the restraining members35 is preferably effected by inserting the ends 37 of the latter through complementary holes E2. inY the end plates 5S, as best shown in Fig. 7, and peening the ends 3? as indicated at 39, the endsY Spreerably being substantially square, as shown, to prevent rotation of the restraining members 35, and being of reduced section, as illustrated, to provide shoulders 38 abutting the end plates 50.

Referring to Fig. 6, the longitudinal' position of the drive member l0 may be releasably fixed, whereby either end 42 thereof may extend" longitudinally beyond the end plates 5D, by means of a depressible ball-catch 43 disposed adjacent each end of one of the faces yil and adaptedv to engage the inner surface 53 of one of the end plates 50. The ball-catch comprises a spring d1 and a ball M disposed within and partially enclosed by a tapered bore 45, the tapered end 46 of the bore 45 being formed by peening as is well known in the art. The roller 3| adjacent the face 4I incorporating the balls 44 is preferably shortened, as indicated at 3Ia, to accommodate the balls 44. The ball-catch i3 is further adapted to engage and secure a socket applied to the drive member 40. A pin 48 is disposed within and extends from a transverse bore through the drive member 40 intermediate the ends 42 thereof, the ends of the pin 48 being adapted to engage the inner surface 53 of the either end plate 50 to limit the longitudinal displacement of the drive member 40.

As previously mentioned, the intermittent rotary motion transmitted to a socket ll in a forward direction by a reciprocating force F, R applied to the handle 24 of the wrench may be in either a clockwise or counterclockwise sense. The forward direction may be reversed by the simple expedient of transposing the drive member lil to the position indicated in dotted lines 49 in Fig. 6 and inverting the wrench. A mirror image of Figs. 2 and 3 will indicate the action of the transmitting assembly 3c to effect the reversed forward rotary motion.

The transmitting assembly 30 provides a simple, inexpensive means for selectively transmitting a component of an alternating rotary motion by alternately developing negligible and innite coeiicients of friction. 'I'he assembly 3 requires little or no attention, and fouling thereof by accumulations of rust, dirt, etc., is Virtually impossible due to the grinding or pulverizing action applied thereto by the rollers 3|. Extreme accuracy in manufacturing the various parts of the wrench is not necessary, for any reasonable inaccuracies are absorbed by slight transverse displacements of the drive member 40 and the rollers 3l with respect to the peripheral wall 22 which occur automatically to equalize the inaccuracies, this feature of the invention making for considerably reduced manufacturing costs.

The inventive concept disclosed herein will suggest numerous modications and substitutions to those skilled in the art, and I specicaly reserve the right toall such modifications and substitutions that come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A wrench comprising: a housing element provided with a longitudinally-directed, circular bore therethrough defining a peripheral Wall; an

end plate adjacent each end of said housing element adapted to enclose said bore, each of said end plates having a centrally-located, polygonal hole therethrough; a restraining member adjacent each side ofsaid polygonal hole disposed longitudinally within said bore, each end of each restraining member being attached to one of said end plates; a drive member of a polygonal cross section complementary to said polygonal holes, said drive member` being longitudinally slidable through said polygonal holes and said bore and extending longitudinally from said bore; and a roller disposed longitudinally between each face of said polygonal drive member and said peripheral wall adjacent one of said restraining members, said rollers being adapted to engage said faces and said peripheral wall to prevent relative motion thereof during forward rotation of said housing element, and'being adapted to engage said restraining members during rearward rotation of said housing element to prevent engagement of said rollers with said faces and said peripheral wall simultaneously whereby relative motion thereof is permitted.

2. A wrench comprising: a right-cylindrical housing element provided with a concentric circular bore therethrough defining a peripheral wall; a circular end plate adjacent each end of said housing element adapted to enclose said bore, each of said end plates providing a concentric square hole therethrough; a restraining member attached to said end plates adjacent each side of said holes whereby said end plates are maintained in spaced relationship with said holes in alignment; a square drive member of greater length than said bore slidably inserted through said holes and said bore; means for releasably fixing the longitudinal position of said drive member; and a roller disposed longitudinally between each face of said drive member and said peripheral wall and having a lesser diameter than the maximum clearance and a greater diameter than the minimum clearance therebetween.

3. A wrench as dened in claim 2 in which said releasably-xing means includes a depressible ball-catch adjacent each end of one face of said drive member adapted to engage the end plate thereadjacent, and in which the roller disposed between said one face of said drive member and said peripheral wall is shortened to accommodate said ball catches.

4. A wrench as defined in claim 2 including means for limiting the longitudinal travel of said drive member.

CLAYTON L. RICH. 

